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I spent a lot of time in the last year focusing on my health. It’s not simply that I want to lose weight, I want to feel good. I want a clearer, sharper mind so that I can take on big work projects that help change people’s lives. I want a body that will keep up with my busy life. I want to be an example to my children. I want to take care of myself so I can take care of my people (hello, H.E.A.R.T. goals in practice!). I’ll turn 40 this year and I want to feel stronger and better than I ever have!

A big part of my health journey was finding a diet program that worked for me. Enter FASTer Way to Fat Loss (FWTFL). I’m starting my third round next week and because I’ve gotten so many questions about this program, I wanted to answer a few of them here.

I went through the program twice last year and saw results both times. I lost 17 pounds in six weeks and felt absolutely amazing. When I’m following the principles of the program, I don’t feel deprived and I see results. What more could you ask for?

Now, let’s get to your questions and I’ll also share some tips if you want to try it yourself!

What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss?
FWTFL is a six-week program that uses carb cycling, intermittent fasting, and exercise to help you lose weight. When you sign up, you receive guides on workout routines, meal suggestions, access to private Facebook groups, and a workbook. Through the program, you’ll count your macronutrients and be instructed on carb cycling. This is a brand new way of thinking about what you’re consuming and it has truly transformed the way I make decisions about food. You can sign up for the next round of the program here.

Is FASTer Way to Fat Loss a keto (ketogenic) diet?
The short answer is no. FWTFL focuses on carb cycling, eating the right macros and nutrients, at specific times. Each day of the week has a designated carb intake level so some days are low carb days and other days are high carb days.

What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting is an eating style where you eat within a specific time frame and fast the remainder of the day. It has easily been my favorite part of this program. We’re programmed to think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I’ve always felt guilty about skipping breakfast in the past. When this program encouraged me to stop and think about intermittent fasting, something clicked. Plus, your willpower diminishes as the day goes on. It’s much easier to skip breakfast than to turn down a glass of wine at night (Can I get an amen?) I typically fast from 8 pm until noon the next day.

What about the workouts?I can’t tell you that I’ve found great success with the workouts because I simply haven’t been doing them. And yet, I still lost 17 pounds in six weeks! The FWTFL team has great, cardio and HIIT/metabolic training workouts that you can follow along with. I am hoping to add these to my routine this next round to see how they improve my results.

If you’re starting out on your FWTFL journey, here are some great tips and tools that have helped me see success on the program.

Make My Fitness Pal your friend. Download the free My Fitness Pal app and get comfortable using it to track your food intake. I upgraded to the paid program so that I could get a better gauge on my macros.

Keep healthy food options around the house. We can map out the perfect meal plan and exercise routine yet still make bad decisions when we don’t have access to the right foods or we have easy access to the wrong foods. I have found that keeping healthy, FWTFL friendly options around the house was the best way to combat pitfalls. Here are some of my family’s favorites:

Pecan butter – This is delicious on bread, fruit or straight out of the container on a spoon.

Lara Bars – I keep these in my purse and car as a great on-the-go option.

Prepare your closet. As I mentioned above, I don’t typically keep up with the workouts on FWTFL. That said, I find that if I lace up sneakers every day, I move more. Whether that’s taking a walking with my husband or playing with the kids, I’m more inclined to be on the move if I dress the part. I keep cute but comfortable clothes at the front of my closet so I can easily make good decisions when getting dressed in the morning. Cute because you feel better when you look better and comfortable to remove any excuse to not get moving. Here are a few pieces I’ve been loving lately:

Cute sneakers – These make me feel pulled together and ready to get to work at the same time. Plus, I get compliments every single time I wear them.

New Balance underwear – If you are like me, you need to be reminded that every few years it’s time to upgrade your underwear situation. This is your friendly reminder and these are a great option.

Terry Sweatshirt – Cute, comfy and affordable makes this sweatshirt a no brainer.

Drink all the water. Every diet, weight loss plan or healthy living guideline tells you to drink more water. Not to be a broken record, but you need to drink more water. I find that when I’m hydrated, all systems work better. Drinking water is a keystone habit that will aid success in any healthy living journey.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read up on the FWTFL program here.

That’s it! Any other FWTFL questions? I’ll be sharing my FWTFL journey over on Instagram. I’d love for you to follow along and join me!

We all do some reflection from time to time right? We think back to what we were doing this time last week, last month, last season or maybe last year. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I can shrug off the results of that reflection: “meh, same ol’, same ol’,”. But there have been a few times in life when my response to my reflective thoughts has been a lot more along the line of “Holy cow, stop the rollercoaster, the merry go round, the run away train.”

Do you know what I mean? We’re meandering along in a lovely season of life, and the road ahead looks partly cloudy with a scatter of showers. And then before you know it: DELUGE RAINSTORM. And we’re all, “Where the heck did that come from?” Tell me you’ve been there.

Our family is wading through, fighting through, such a rainstorm right now. Although a realist, I can also find the bright side of almost anything, or at least find the strength to be grateful for the hard stuff, so my response to this is, of course, “All is good!”

I jotted down a few observations, thoughts, and lessons about what I’ve learned over the past few weeks–lessons from a harder season–and wanted to share them with you.

Mental health is a real issue. I’ve been seeing a psychiatrist for about two years. The appointments are quick, easy, and painless. I tell her how I’m doing, and she tells me what my brain is doing. She knows I’m not a huge fan of medication, but she also is wise, and she tells me that there is no shame in asking for help when I need it. So I’m back on a very low dose of stuff to help me deal with ADHD and mild depression, and she’s a saint. Lesson: when life gets hard, don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

If you love something, hold it loosely. Last year, Day Designer dove into a deeper partnership with my friends over at Blue Sky. After working together on the Target projects for several years, we saw a great alignment in their expertise and my desire to spend more time with our family. We’ve spent the past several months getting to know them even better, synchronizing our teams and product development calendars, dreaming up lots of big stuff that is way bigger than anything I’d ever be able to execute on my own. This transition has had it’s own share of fresh discoveries, but as we’re starting to lay down plans for 2019 and beyond, what’s unfolding is truly beautiful. To me, it’s a testament to the fact that if you roll with life’s changes, the results may surprise you. Lesson: we were not meant to stay in the same place for the rest of our lives.

“I don’t know how you do it all!” Let’s get this one out of the way: I am not one of those people who can “do it all”. I cannot multitask. Wherever I am, I’m all in, until I’m not, and then I reenergize by hopping to another project. My daily creative life is a series of half-finished projects, all of them glorious in the middle of their own messy process. I don’t know why I love this mess; I don’t know why this delights me. I wish I could organize, clean, and tidy. I wish I could simplify, minimize, and eliminate. But for me, friends, those things are BATTLES. I mean, it’s really, really hard stuff. I recognize the value of the disciplines, though, and disciplines they are, so the disciplines I will try to practice. And as I fail, I will try again tomorrow. Ultimately, I “do it all” the same way you “do it all”: to the best of my ability, never perfect, and always in process. Lesson: be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle.

The joy is in the journey. In the spirit of rolling with whatever life throws at you, our family has once again found ourselves in a season of stewardship, restraint, and creativity. You could call it a budget, if you want to, but that doesn’t sound as sexy as stewardship, restraint, and creativity. At any rate, we are, for better or worse, challenging ourselves to be resourceful, to use what we have, to sell what we don’t need, and to let go of anything that is weighing us down. We are choosing to intentionally shift, instead of unintentionally drift, and we are taking some big steps of blind faith into a life that feels unknown. I love looking at this “budget season” as one of adventure and cleansing, instead of drudgery and hostage. Lesson: it’s all about how you look at it.

You’re allowed to scratch any creative itch you want to scratch. I mentioned in the past couple of weeks that I am planning on relaunching my online course later this year, under the new name The Joyful Brand. I’m still working on this. I gave myself a deadline, but I’ve seen a few curveballs since then. In the spirit of above mentioned resourcefulness, I’ve been running a pop-up shop on weekends, learning about being a brick-and-mortar retailer. Last weekend, I sold a painting! I never considered myself that type of artist, but I’m learning that I label myself far more than others do. This weekend, the plan is to do the pop-up as a floral shop, but like all plans, I’m learning that they’re often written in pencil and sand, not ink and concrete. I hope to use what I learn as fresh content for the online course, so I’m taking all kinds of notes as I go. Those two journeys are currently only on Instagram, if you want to follow along on the road to launching The Joyful Brand online course, or the retail pop-up at Gingham Home. Lesson: you do you, to the best of your ability, and leave the shame and guilt at home.

This is our season. So tell me, have you ever found yourself in a “sudden thunderstorm” type of season? Did you have any takeaways or lessons that might be an encouragement to others? Share in the comments, if you like.